A different workshop will be presented each day in June e.g. Developing Characters, Research, Building Your Author Brand. Shall I put a plug in for my topic? Memoir Writing on June 9. Take advantage of this FREE information from the Muse It Up Publishing authors!

Magical Mystery Tour starts on the first of June

Do you love mysteries? Meet mystery writers and read excerpts at author Marva Dasef's blog all month long. Each book is a mystery, but how about mystery/romance or mystery/horror or mystery/sciencefiction? So many mixed mystery genres to read and enjoy. Below is the schedule. Hope you'll join us.

(Okay, forgive my shameless promotion for my date, June 21 in red!!!)

6/1 Roseanne Dowell - Double the Trouble

6/3 Ginger Simpson - Beside Myself

6/5 Larriane/Larion Wills - It's Still Tomorrow

6/7 Lisabet Sarai - Exposure

6/9 Arlene Webb - Ashes

6/11 Lorrie Struiff - Gypsy Crystal

6/14 Anna MacLean - Louisa and the Missing Heiress

6/15 A.R. Norris - Duty and Devotion

6/17 A.M. Roelke - The Space Station Murders

6/19 Pat Dale - Crossed Lines

6/21 J.Q. Rose - Sunshine Boulevard

6/23 John Roseman - Dark Wizard

6/24 Ellie Burmeister - How to Get an Agent in Two Murders or Less (*NEW)

Monday, May 30, 2011

Thanks for participating in the Double the Fun contest. It was a lot of fun to share my birthday celebratiion with you. I wish all of you could be the lucky winner in the drawing.
Congratulations to Laura Johnson. I will be sending Laura my mystery/horror novella, Sunshine Boulevard AND Roseanne Dowell's Double the Trouble.

The winner at Roseanne's blog is Suzanne Drasic who will receive the two books also.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

﻿I am delighted to welcome Kate Wesley to the J Q Rose blog today. Kate is the main character in Roseanne Dowell's latest release from Muse It Up Publishing, Double the Trouble. In a lucky coincidence, Author Roseanne Dowell and I share birthdates…May 25…That's today! (No, I am not telling years!!) Roseanne’s new e-book, available now, is Double the Trouble. So we want to celebrate our two birthdays, not to double the trouble, but to double the fun with a double the chance to win two books! Yes, two chances to win two e-books, mystery romance, Double the Trouble andmystery/light horror Sunshine Boulevard. Look for contest rules later in this post.

Now here's Kate Wesley--Welcome Kate.

Hi, I’m Katherine Wesley, but everyone calls me Kate. I’ve recently returned to my home town of Twinsburg, Ohio after five years of living in self-imposed exile. Okay, it wasn’t really exile, I was hiding away because my fiancé jilted me two days before our wedding. Can you believe he didn’t even have the guts to tell me in person? Oh no, he left me a note and took off to Las Vegas.

I left town shortly after, because I couldn’t stand the looks of pity from everyone. I know everyone said I wasn’t I wasn’t the first, and I probably wouldn’t be the last, but that doesn’t help when it happens to you. So I fled. I built a new life for myself. I even opened a very successful flower shop in Clyde, Ohio.

But now I’m back and I opened my own florist shop here. Problem is, my ex is back too. Not that I care. I mean seriously, I’m over him.The fact my heart beat a little faster the first time I ran into him didn’t mean a thing. Heck, it flipped twice as hard when I met my client’s brother. Not that I’m looking for a guy, believe me, I’m not.Good grief I’m happy just the way I am. I don’t have to answer to anyone and no one has to answer to me. Nope, I’m quite happy, thank you very much

.

Life was fine until I visited my Aunt Kate’s grave, well mostly fine. I mean my ex and Emma’s brother seemed to be vying for my attention. I never had that happen before and, quite honestly, I could live without it. Talk about uncomfortable. But the florist shop was doing well for just having opened. Emma’s wedding helped that. So there I was, minding my own business, going to the cemetery and that’s when I found a dead body.

A shadow passed over the doorway, and Kate realized she wasn’t alone. She looked up.

Adam stood in the doorway, the same cocky grin on his face. “Now that’s settled, how are you, Kate?”

Kate couldn’t believe it. Couldn’t he take a hint? “What do you want, Adam?” She didn’t care if she sounded angry. He deserved angry.

Adam came into the work room and stood in front of her. “You look great.”

Kate looked away. So did he, but darned if she’d tell him. He looked too damn good. What was the saying? Fool her once, shame on him, fool her twice, shame on her. Nope, she didn’t need him or anyone like him.

“So what do you want? I gave you all the information on Emma. Shouldn’t you be out investigating?” She picked up a flower and set it in a vase. Her heart beat so hard, it surprised her that he didn’t hear it.

“Look, I know you’re still upset about the wedding, but give me a chance to make it up to you. How about dinner tonight?”

“I’m busy.” Still upset?The man has no idea. Like we should pick up where we left off? He’s got to be kidding.

“Tomorrow then?”

“I’m busy tomorrow, too. Look, Adam, just go, okay. I don’t want to have dinner with you. Not tonight, not tomorrow, not ever.”

“Come on, babe, don’t be like that.” Adam moved a strand of hair behind her ear. “I don’t blame you for being angry. But damn, it’s been five years.” He ran his finger along her cheek. “The least you could do is give me a chance to explain. Not that I’m sure I could. I’m not sure, even now, why I took off. Cold feet, I guess.”

Kate trembled at his touch. A spark of something familiar tumbled in her stomach. She pushed his hand away. Try as she might, her anger shattered.

“How dare you walk in here like nothing happened? Like we’re going to pick up where we left off?” Kate spoke through clenched teeth. What she really wanted to do was lash out and hurt him the way he hurt her, but a customer might come in and screaming wasn’t going to help anyway.

Adam stared at her, a look of confusion in his dark eyes. He just didn’t get it. He really didn’t see anything wrong with what he did. Took the coward’s way out and left her to deal with canceling all the wedding plans. What a jerk. “Look, just go.” She turned back to her work and picked up a vase to fill her next order.

Adam ran his hand through his dark, wavy hair. Hair she used to love to run her fingers through. She could almost feel the soft, silkiness of even now.

“Give me a break, Kate. Let me make it up to you.”

Part of her wanted to give in, and part of her wanted to throw something at him. Stay strong, get rid of him. No way was she picking up where they left off.

The bell rang again, and before she had a chance to react, Mark stormed in. Kate’s stomach did a flip at the sight of him. What was wrong with her, reacting to these men this way? For five years men had no affect on her. Now in the course of an hour, the two of them managed to get under her skin, causing feelings deep within she hadn’t experienced in years. Feelings she didn’t want to feel.

Mark stared at them for a second. “I don’t know what the two of you have going, but why aren’t you out looking for my sister?”

Kate shuddered at the angry tone of Mark’s voice. “There’s nothing going on between us, Mr. Westfield. I just suggested the very same thing to Detective Shaffer,” she said just as angry. “Now if the two of you will continue this outside, I have work to do.”

“I’ll call you later, Kate.” Adam acted as if everything between them was settled. Par for the course. Wasn’t that always how it was? She got mad, spoke her mind, and that was it. Over and done with.

Nothing changed. Adam went on doing the same things he always did. Didn’t matter if it upset her. Poker every Friday night with his friends, no matter how angry she got. How they had managed to plan the wedding was beyond her.Not that he did any of the planning. Adam didn’t even want to see the hall or listen to the band. No wonder he didn’t have any qualms about canceling the wedding. He didn’t do any of the work for it. Obviously, he wasn’t ready to get married. So why had he asked her? Asked her, heck, he had insisted. Even when she suggested they wait a year or so. He at least owed her an explanation. But did she really want to hear it?

Win this book!

Contest Rules

Are you ready to double the fun? E-mail the code word sunshine and a different code word at Roseanne’s blog. Include both words in the body of the email. Send the email to me at jqrose01 at gmail dot comwith contest as the subject. You must have both words to be eligible to win two books. AND if you enter on each blog, you have two chances to win two books! Double the fun!

Click on Roseanne's blog to find the second word. Be sure to email both words to Roseanne and to me so you will have two chances to win the two books.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

We saw the most magnificent rainbow last night when we came out of Meijers in Muskegon. It accompanied us for most of the trip back home It was a complete colorful arch. I knew the end of the rainbow was in the woods not too far off the highway, but my husband wouldn't go look for the treasure.... The beauty in the rainbow was priceless.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Drinking a glass of red wine, not white, is healthy for your heart. Or so I've heard. My friend drinks a glass every night. Soooooooooo, I decided to try it tonight. Mind you, I am not a wine drinker. I stick to iced tea and lemonade if I want a cool drink. So I poured a small amount to taste. I sure wish I liked it. Not exactly as tasty as a chocolate milk shake which I love.

I am just not into the alcohol taste I guess. I love grape juice. Why ruin it?

I know some folks love wine and are connoisseurs. I think I need to experiment with several wines till I find one that tastes good to me and won't break the bank. What's your favorite?

Sunday, May 15, 2011

If you are a scaredy cat, then don't read my mystery/light horror e-book, Sunshine Boulevard Maybe you will appreciate the scaredy cat in this fun video....the music and the kitty are purrrfect together.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

First I cry....LOL...No, actually I don't. But when I first turned in my "perfect" ms for Sunshine Boulevard to content editor Karen McGrath at Muse It Up Publishing, I was very smug, almost challenging her to find an imperfection. After perusing the ms, she returned it with suggestions, comments, and LOTS of red ink from the tracker program. It looked like something had bled all over the pages!

It was a shock at first glance. Then I settled down to read what was on the page and to apply her suggestions. She was very gentle and kind with me and told me she is easily bribed with chocolate. We worked together very well as she guided me through to developing an improved, tighter story.

And, yes, I have saved every one of the edits for Sunshine Boulevard in a file. I have no idea what I will do with them except smile when I see them in the documents file. They are a reminder of a wonderful collaboration and learning experience with Karen on my first published e-book.

Want to read more from writers on what they do with their edits? Click on the Author Blog Hop.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

During the month of May, authors from Muse It Up Publishing pay tribute to Mothers and Fathers. Visit the Muse It Up Publishing Blog for interesting posts filled with joy, tears, heartache, sweetness. You will also be "in" on the contests and give-aways.

Monday, May 2, 2011

I attended a Writers Live event at our local library on Wednesday evening. The guest author was Jonathan Rand who has written a series of books for 8-12 year olds called Michigan Chillers. Each horror story takes place in a city in Michigan e.g.Mayhem on Mackinac Island and Dinosaurs in Detroit. Likewise he has written a series entitled American Chillers which take place in each state. So far there are 30 of these. He plans to cover all 50 states.

His upbeat entertaining presentation mesmerized the students. Little did
they know he was being a cheerleader for reading. In his presentation he emphasized that reading isn't something you do. It's a place you go. Bingo. That resonated
even with this grandma. He also told the kids, "Books don't have covers. They
have doors."

Reading is one of my favorite things to do or should I say places to go? Enjoy your books. What's your favorite?

Girls Succeed: Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women

Romance and Mystery Authors on Writing eBook Available Now

BWL Publishing

Talented authors and great reads

Writing, Publishing, Marketing, and Reading

Writing, publishing, marketing. and reading are my favorite topics for the J.Q. Rose blog. My first e-book, Sunshine Boulevard, was released by Muse It Up Publishing in 2011. You can imagine how many things have changed in the world of writing and reading since then. Deadly Undertaking, from Books We Love, is now available and a third mystery will be available soon. Check out my Amazon Author Page and the tab above entitled My Books to discover more eBooks by J.Q. Rose. You may be surprised at the topics! Let's try and keep up with this amazing industry and all the good books available by sharing with each other.